Premiering on BET Sunday, June 25 @ Noon & 10pm!!
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Lamman Rucker's was born on 6 October in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His mother had a dance company (the Pittsburgh Black Theater Dance Ensemble) and his father was a drummer, so entertaining is in his blood. His first acting role was as Martin Luther King in the 4th grade. He was in the drama club in 7th grade and then attended high school at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. He has an undergraduate degree in Information Technology and Business and his graduate degree in Education and Curriculum Development. He played basketball in college and semi-pro ball for a short time after that. Lamman is the oldest of 3 children, having a younger sister and brother. He is currently single, but involved with someone special. When he's not working, he enjoys working out, playing ball, going to the theater and traveling.
Lamman Rucker, a former semi-pro athelete, joined As the World Turns in May 2002 in what was to have been a short-term, recurring role. Rucker's performance earned praise from fans and show execs alike and several months later he was given a contract with the show. However, by mid-October of 2003, storyline dictated the actor's exit from the show.
On All My Children, Rucker appeared in the contract role of Garret Williams, fiance to It Shari Headley (Mimi Reed), who is reprising the role of Mimi Reed beginning June 14th.
"AMC is such a class act," Rucker enthused. "Before I did AS THE WORLD TURNS [where he played Marshall], I auditioned for AMC the same day. Later, there was another role that came up that I was in consideration for that didn't happen. Third time was the charm. Everybody at AMC was so nice. It was a comfortable, healthy and functional work environment, and that was important to me." Despite some initial reservations about his storyline, Rucker has no regrets about his time on AMC. "Absolutely not," he stresses. "We joked, facetiously, like, 'too bad they had to hire me as Garret!' We established a great relationship. I always like to come and go on good terms."
Rucker has a knack for playing bad guys on daytime. "It's so funny," laughs the actor, who couldn't be nicer in real life. "It would be nice to be the good-guy hero from time to time. But at the same time, having characters that people love to hate are just as interesting and valuable. I'm always playing a guy that is significantly older than me, so if I did have my preference, I would play somebody who is younger."
And just because Garret no longer resides in Pine Valley does not mean Rucker is going to lose touch with the cast. "I actually talked to Tanisha (Lynn, Danielle) the other day," he shares. "Shari (Headley, ex-Mimi) called me. The people in your immediate storyline, you keep in more consistent contact with. I miss all my girls in hair and makeup, the guys and young ladies in wardrobe, everybody on the set, my man, Cleveland, at the security desk. I really had a nice rapport with everybody."
As for now, Rucker is back on the West Coast auditioning. "I just booked HALF AND HALF, a UPN sitcom," the actor reveals. "I'll be recurring as a love interest of one the co-leads. I can actually smile and be a nice guy!" He later adds, "I was killed on AMC on a Monday and booked this show on Friday. It's great! I'm really blessed that it was timed that way."
